Archive

A report in the Times newspaper says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning a stamp duty cut in the early autumn. The paper...

It’s tempting to think that Michael Gove’s proposed clampdown on Airbnb-style short lets is a uniquely British form of small-mindedness, part...

Plans to set ground rents at a ‘peppercorn rate’ are reported to have been dropped amid opposition from freehold campaigners and...

Both 'beauty' and ‘gentle density’ are central themes of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).. The notes which accompany the NPPF state...

The architect of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) reforms has expressed frustration that the recommendations have failed to materialise as...

The Government has taken the unusual step of intervening in the London Plan to boost housebuilding in the capital.   Housing Secretary Michael...

The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by...

Last weekend, Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Michael Gove wrote in the Sunday Times that the nation’s housing crisis was so...

Building on brownfield sites may not be the silver bullet it is made out to be, the government has been warned. Housing...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has given the strongest hint yet that housing measures could be included in the Spring Budget. Chancellor Jeremy...

Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...

The Register of Overseas Entities has hit the 30,000 registration milestone. The register, which is administered by Companies House, came into force...

As the world marches relentlessly forward to 2024, the government’s flagship legislation for the private rented sector (PRS) remains in limbo. This...

The Government has published long-awaited reforms to its National Planning Policy Framework, confirming that local housebuilding targets will be advisory rather...

In July the Government committed to ‘a new era of regeneration, inner-city densification and housing delivery across England, with transformational plans...

There is rarely a quiet year in the property market. And 2023 has felt like the usual rollercoaster at times. On...

It may be a measure of the government’s incompetence in the area of housing that two recent major announcements were sorely...

The long-awaited Leasehold and Freehold Bill is set to be unveiled in Parliament today. The Bill aims to make it cheaper and...

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Autumn Statement this afternoon amid rumours of Stamp Duty reforms and support for first-time buyers. The...

Lee Rowley has returned as housing minister. The reappointment comes after Rachel Maclean was sacked this morning and follows reports that the...

Propertymark has written to the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to reiterate its longstanding call for regulation of property agents. The agency trade...

The Government has outlined five proposals to reduce ground rents for existing leaseholders as its latest attempt to reform the sector...

All new houses in England and Wales will have to be sold as freehold properties under government plans to phase out...

Housing supply rather than the private rented sector (PRS) made the headlines during the Conservative and Labour Party conferences this year...

Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...

More families need a home they can call their own, the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Speaking at the Tory Party...

And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...

Labour’s Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner is to add the housing brief to her deputy leader role. She takes over from Lisa Nandy...

I recently wrote that the long-gestating Renters Reform Bill, finally introduced in Parliament back in May, could be poorly timed, both...

The Government has set out yet another attempt to meet it manifesto commitment to build 1m homes over this Parliament. Prime Minister...

It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...

It’s not a sentence that I thought I would be writing, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove has indeed finally done something...

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruled out providing financial support for struggling mortgage borrowers as rates hit new highs. Average mortgage rates hit...

In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on the biggest stories from the past seven days.  For a long...

The Labour Party has pledged to introduce legislation within its first 100 days of Government to abolish leasehold if it wins...

It has been another busy week in the property sector.  In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...

Sleight of hand, optical illusion, card up the sleeve – we all love a good conjuring trick, don’t we? And they say...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has been slammed for “unhelpful” comments about abolishing leasehold after it emerged that there may not be...

A coalition of businesses from across the property industry have united to call on the Government to do more to speed-up...

The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday. Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted...

In November, research conducted by The Housing Forum's Futures Network unearthed concern with the potential to meet the requirements set out...

The property industry may be going to great effort to digitise and improve the process of buying and selling a home...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has signalled that legislation to allow for further leasehold reform will be included in the next parliamentary...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to leasehold reform and fixing cladding issues before the next election. It comes as the Government...

It’s been a year since Housing Secretary Michael Gove declared that was “morally wrong” that leaseholders should pay to fix unsafe...

As we get ever closer to 2023, this final Natter of the year is dedicated to the five biggest property moments of...

Is it really just a year ago that we were nervously wondering whether yet another Christmas would be Covid-affected? Little did we...

The Government has officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets as it brings its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to look into issues with the Building Safety Act after MPs claimed leaseholders and Help to...

MP for South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer has been confirmed as the latest Housing Minister as part of a department reshuffle. Michael...

The Government’s target of constructing 300,000 new homes annually by 2025 has been called into question due to a lack of...

And…breathe. For a while back there, the only certainty for the housing market was uncertainty. That isn’t to say the election of Rishi...

Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...

Estate agents have already filled Michael Gove's inbox with property-related tasks after he returned as Housing Secretary yesterday. New Prime Minister Rishi...

Michael Gove has returned to frontline politics and his previous role as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. He is among the new...

Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...

First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...

Simon Clarke has been confirmed as the new Housing Secretary in the Cabinet of new Prime Minister Liz Truss this evening. He...

A parliamentary petition calling for ground rent charges to be extended to existing leases has reached the required number of signatures...

A senior member of the Home Buying and Selling Group has insisted work on reforms is ongoing despite the ministerial merry-go-round...

Estate agency trade body Propertymark is hoping to “maintain momentum” with newly appointed Housing Secretary Greg Clark. He replaces Michael Gove, who...

Greg Clark has been named as the new Housing Secretary. Clark will replace Michael Gove who was sacked by Prime Minister Boris...

Independent agent Barrows and Forrester has called for the appointment of a housing tsar for a fixed term as yet another...

Michael Gove has been sacked as Housing Secretary as Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to reject calls to resign. Johnson was hit...

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid sensationally quit as Chancellor and Health Secretary respectively this evening but Housing Secretary Michael Gove is...

Anyone working in the property market should have at least one eye on supply. Of course, it’s a constant issue for...

It’s the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell fire tragedy, but are high rises any safer today than they were then? On 14th...

The government’s new Right to Buy policy for housing association tenants appeared to unravel last night after the Housing Secretary said...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove and minister Stuart Andrew are set to be grilled by MPs on their property market plans today. The...

This question is not as flippant as it sounds because over recent years the status of the private landlord has taken...

A significant housing announcement has been promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a part of a sweetener that saw him...

In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...

Propertymark has expressed hope that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will help boost much needed agency supply. The trade body has...

The government last night revealed more details on its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill including letting local authorities double council...

A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...

What a difference two months and some local elections make. Cast your minds back to March 9 and the annual report of...

The property industry is fortunate in including many great people, doing great work across a range of businesses – from traditional agency...

Fifteen businesses which had bought freeh­olds from housing developer Countryside have now given formal undertakings to remove terms that cause ground...

Too many leaseholders will fall through the cracks of the government’s “piecemeal measures” to combat the cladding crisis.  That’s the view of...

The government has now formally launched the Homes For Ukraine scheme, heavily leaked in recent days. The Secretary of State for Levelling...

Momentum is building up in support of the government’s probe into whether the London homes of oligarchs on the sanctions list...

The government is considering seizing British property owned by Russian oligarchs on the sanctions list without paying compensation. The Financial Times says Housing...

Agents have told Housing Secretary Michael Gove that his Levelling Up agenda needs to include positive efforts to bring hundreds of...

The government is threatening to deny planning consent to developers who refuse to pay towards the removal of unsafe cladding on...

Housing ministers have lined up in recent days to support beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Housing minister Chris Pincher, upon hearing of new...

The government’s new Levelling Up White Paper, revealed this morning includes a radical reshaping of the private rental sector. Section 21 eviction...

Will he stay or will he go? You don’t need me to say who ‘he’ is - it’s the only story...

Owners of second homes who abuse a tax loophole by claiming their often-empty properties are holiday lets will be forced to...

Leaseholders in lower-rise blocks of flats will not have to take out loans to remove dangerous cladding under new government rules...

A company linked to the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower is being excluded from the government’s Help to Buy scheme, pending the outcome...

The government should reset planning policy and scrap proposals for thousands of new homes in high-risk flood areas. The think-tank Localis, in...

It’s been a busy and arguably fruitful year for the property market, with an eager consumer base pushing forwards with their...

A part of the Connells Group is telling the new Housing Secretary that he and his government “must do more” to...

Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess. Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David...

There’s good news and bad news from the shake-up in government ministers and ministries that was presented to the nation last...

A leading planning consultancy has claimed that ‘the myth’ that housing developers are hoarding land after gaining planning consent in order...

Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has changed its name to reflect the government’s levelling up agenda. The department’s...

New Housing Secretary Michael Gove is reported to be set to press ahead with plans to pause controversial planning reforms.  It came...

Boris Johnson's sudden and unexpectedly ruthless Cabinet reshuffle, which drew comparisons with Margaret Thatcher's 'purge of the wets' in 1981, ended...